The big project Saturday was to make a serious dent in cleaning out our shed before getting ready to move. Some stuff (which somehow was mostly mine….) was in boxes that had not been touched since we moved here years ago. 😳 I knew I wouldn’t keep most of it, but I didn’t want to just throw the boxes away without looking through them first, because I knew there were some treasures in there.
So while Jim, Jeremy, and Jesse took care of some of the bigger items, I sorted through boxes of old magazine articles and recipes (that I had planned someday to file :roll:), letters, notes, etc. I just flipped through and threw away most of anything that appeared to be torn out of a magazine or newspaper — I figured if I had done without those clippings this long, I probably didn’t need them. But this struck me funny in light of all of our house-hunting:
I did find some old bulletins with some poems and quotes I want to keep. Some of them that I tossed included stories and poems that still circulate the Internet today! I found some “Pastorgraphs,” various thoughts on the backs of church bulletins from a beloved former pastor for whom our son Jesse is named, some of which I might post in the future.
I found an old notebook from college days with dividers for sections for devotions, sermon notes, prayer requests, Christmas shopping lists, etc. The very first page had this list:
And yes, I think I got him. 🙂 ♥
I found several pages of notes from devotions that I will have to read through later:
I don’t take notes like that any more, I think because I kept piling up all these notes without ever really consulting them again. But I probably should. What little bit I read was an interesting picture of what I was learning and thinking at the time. I probably would think through the passages better if I were still taking notes like that.
I also found a few letters and personal notes. One from Jim from dating days brought a smile. It said:
THIS IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT
Do not destroy until the agreement specified has been fulfilled.
To the bearer, Barbara F—, I, James H—, promise to honor this note concerning an agreement made in the month of February 1979. Because of her gracious acceptance of a date on a Sunday of the previously mentioned month, I promise and rightfully owe Miss F— one day of her choosing in which I shall do whatever she wishes (within reason). This IOU is binding and shall not be dissolved.
Sincerely (i.e., “with love”),
Signed: James H—
Recipient signature: Barbara F—
I showed it to him and asked him if I had ever cashed in on that. He said, “Many times.” 😀
He found a stray slide on the floor, and saw that it was a picture of me from a couple of months after we started dating. He cleaned it up and printed it out:
We still haven’t figured out why it was in slide form.
I also found a pillow from a quilting class I took. I didn’t like the backing I had used, so I cut it off and want to see about remaking it with other fabric.
The front is pilling a little bit — I probably used cheap fabric. But we’ll see if it can be salvaged. I also found another pillow that I had spent hours embroidering and lost track of. Somehow it was stored in an open box and got all gunky.
Any suggestions for cleaning it? I am going to take the old stuffing out and soak the fabric in…something. Woolite, maybe?
As I sorted through and threw away so much stuff (I did keep all of the above, by the way!) I felt so embarrassed that I had had it all sitting out there so long only to be tossed out. But I comforted myself with the fact that I have learned better now! I keep much less of that kind of thing and try to be discriminating about what I might really look at again and treasure and use in the years to come. So at least I haven’t accumulated another several boxes to add to those from our years here. Well, maybe I have accumulated as much stuff or more — but it’s not boxes of clippings, anyway! 🙂
After a very hot several hours out there (thankfully it has electricity and we had an old fan going), two trips to the dump and one to Salvation Army (and no, that wasn’t all only my stuff!!), we’re maybe — oh — more than a third but less than half done? I’m hoping to do some more this week, but as there are other obligations this week, we’ll see.
And after we get the shed done — next is the attic!
Stray Thoughts 
How long have you lived in this house? We moved in 1993 from the farm where we had been for 15 years…I had a big job going through everything, having a yard sale and tossing ‘stuff’…Honey Bear was in Texas that summer so most of it fell on me…I think we need to move once in a while just so we’re forced to clean out the junk…I forget why you’re moving?
Oh, and about sermon notes: I think it is good practice to write them down even if we don’t keep them. They stay in our mind longer. I write some in my Bible but also keep a notebook in there.
Mama Bear
We’ve been here 12 years. A lot of time for stuff to accumulate! It is a nice feeling to go through and get rid of things, even though it is a little tedious.
We’re moving because my husband’s company has had him working in TN for the past year and wants him to move there, basically.
Those notes about what you’re looking for in a husband made me teary… What a treasure to find!
How very FUN to go through all that and find fun treasures! I like to pull out my old correspondence file every so often and read through letters from best friends of the past, little notes I made, etc.
I love that picture of you on slide form!
Once I took a whole roll of film at some event I was really excited about….only to discover that I had accidentally purchased SLIDES! AHHHH!!
I can remember him having a hand-held slide viewer. At first I thought he had slides for early work presentations (and got one of me), in the days before Power Point, but this would have been while we were still students, so I’m not sure why he had slides.
Hi Barbara,
I feel your ‘pain’! We got rid of a lot when we moved last year, and would you believe it? I’m unpacking now and still have a continually Goodwill box(es) going out. I guess I’m just realizing what’s really important.
As for cleaning the pillow, I’m sold on Biz.
Take care! and Happy 4th!
What treasures you found. I love the legal document and what you are looking for my friend. Entirely awesome 🙂 And what a cutie you were and still are. Isn’t it amazing the things that you come up with when you look in boxes that we intend to get to. Love it. 🙂
What treasures you did find, Barbara! I loooove the contract Jim drew up! How funny!
I take copious bible notes, too, Barbara and have kept all of the notebooks through the years.
I sometimes look through them, but as one of the other commentors said, taking notes helps me to remember what I’ve heard, so much better.
Love the picture of YOU!! 🙂
The note and the picture are so sweet. It’s like finding lost treasures. I like the cartoon too. It’s true. It’s not easy finding exactly the right house. But you will.
What better treasure could you have found than a reminder of when you first fell in love?
As for the pillow, if that grime has grease in it, you might actually be better off soaking it in a bit of Dawn dish washing liquid. Seriously.
What a great picture of you! And I laughed out loud at the cartoon.
I love seeing all the treasures you found while cleaning out for your move! I really enjoyed reading your Bible notes and your list of what you were looking for in a man – and that you found him! 😉 I don’t know if I have anything like that laying around anywhere. It would be interesting to see what I was thinking in past years.
That picture of you is beautiful!
Wow, Barbara – you got a lot done! I love your old devotional notes. I have those too in journals… like you, I don’t really go back and read them. But one day your kids might! 🙂
Those pillows are treasures, for sure. If I were you, I would start using them in the new house! 🙂
Have fun with the rest of your cleaning/packing.
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This post made me smile so much, my face hurts! LOL! Thank you so, so much for sharing, Barbara. I snatched your list of “What I Want in a Man,” if that’s OK with you. Haha! I love that IOU note too. So cute! Everything in this post is just so wonderful.
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